Symptoms
A child may present with one or more of the following:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting (especially in the mornings)
- Dizziness
- Blurred or double vision
- Slurred speech
- Behavioural changes
- Deterioration in handwriting
- Confusion
- Lethargy
- Lack of co-ordination and/or unsteadiness/poor balance
- Muscle spasm
- Seizures
- Breathlessness
- Weight gain/weight loss
- Watery eyes when combing/brushing hair
If the tumour has spread to the spine:
- Back pain
- Loss of bladder/bowel control
- Unsteady walking
Children with medulloblastoma may present with some of the above symptoms. However, it is important to remember that some of these symptoms may be indicators of other less serious illnesses.
With Medulloblastoma, a number of symptoms are caused by increased pressure within the brain and is due to a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid, unable to flow properly because of blockage caused by the tumour.
The main symptoms may appear just one to two months before diagnosis.
In extremely rare cases, medulloblastoma can spread outside the central nervous system ( CNS), usually to the bone, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and/or internal organs, in particular, the liver. Bone pain may be suggestive of this. Swelling of internal organs may also indicate that the cancer has spread. Tumour spread outside the CNS is not usually present at time of diagnosis.
